13-01: Snow and Ice Control Environmental Best Management Practices Manual

Problem

Over the last several decades, best management practices have been developed to minimize the volume of chlorides that are introduced into our roadside environments each winter. However, many stakeholders are currently guiding policy discussions towards the chlorides themselves without a complete understanding of the impacts of alternatives maintenance materials or the proactive steps that agencies can take to ensure that their snow and ice programs are utilizing the most current and effective strategies.

Objective

The goal of this project was to develop a comprehensive Snow and Ice Control Environmental Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual that will provide the most up-to-date recommendations for winter highway maintenance. The purpose was to help articulate responsible snow and ice control practices for DOT staff, legislators and other interested parties, so that the priorities of safety, efficiency, cost and environmental protection can be appropriately balanced.

Results

The key outcome of this project is a national Snow and Ice Control Environmental Best Management Practices Manual that provides the most up-to-date recommendations, based on a foundation of leading research and resources nationwide.

This project was featured in an article in the September 2015 issue of Roads and Bridges magazine.